that includes these soldiers stationed in the southeastern corner of afghanistan. they took part in a flag-raising ceremony complete with a military band to observe the fourth of july holiday, independence day. very nice. >>> taking a look at your all-important weather, this becomes very important. we have barbecues to talk about. can't have rain on the barbecue. severe storms are possible in the dakotas and parts of minnesota. there also could be flooding rains in missouri, maryland, and arkansas. firefighters in the desert southwest could get some help from monsoon rains. it always rained in seattle when i was growing up on the fourth. >> we should say folks in texas, it's very dry, looking for some rain. in colorado, northern texas, 10 degrees warmer than usual. seattle, seasonable in the mid-70s. chicago, detroit, minneapolis, mid-80s. i can deal with that. >> that sounds pretty good. >>> the calendar says it is the 4th but the scene on washington state's crystal mountain is just a little bit more confusing because record snowfall has extended the skiing and sn